


Married

by SlytherinSweetheart1



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Absurd, F/M, Marriage, Meddling with timelines, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 21:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16436894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinSweetheart1/pseuds/SlytherinSweetheart1
Summary: Samantha Carter travels back in time to convince herself to marry her CO.





	Married

The day the program is closed and Sam knows the world is soon to end, she finds herself thinking about all of her Bucket List needs and wants. She wants to pretend she’s thinking about Bora Bora and eating ice cream till she dies, but it’s all mostly about the Colonel.

The attraction between them has burned since Antartica, and she wonders if she could get him into bed before he realises what a fantastically terrible idea it was.

She shuts her front door, puts down the bag with wine and cheese on the counter, and then freezes at the sight of something impossible.

It’s her, Samantha Carter, she knows it’s her, except she’s old. Long blond hair, tired, sad eyes - blue and dark, expressing the anger Sam had never expected to experience again. She knows this woman on a cellular level. Knows her loss.

“Sam, this is unexpected, I know, but..” the older woman starts.

“..theoretically possible?” Sam says to herself.

“Yes. I came here to speak to you.”

“How could you? That’s irresponsible. Do you know what you’re risking?” Sam feels her anger respond in turn.

“Of course I do. But the world owes me. Us.”

“It doesn’t. What is wrong with you?” She is disgusted by the attitude and the behaviour. She had never thought she could be so bitter or so careless.

“It’s worse than last time. It’s worse than Mum.”

“Nothing. Nothing is worse than Mum.”

“Sam.”

“No. You’re wrong.”

It’s so strange to argue with herself, to feel the slap of the woman’s hand on her cheek, the sting of it. Sam thinks she’s about to have to fight herself, but the woman looks equal parts ashamed and angry.

“We lose him.”

“Who is him? Who do we lose? Who do we love that much, that you come here, that you risk the universe?”

The older woman says nothing. Just looks at her.

“No. No. You’re wrong. It’s just a crush.”

Samantha Carter was a terrible liar.

“You risked everything, all of history, for a man? Fuck. Fuck you’re pathetic. I’m pathetic.”

“Shut up. You don’t know anything. You don’t know what they took from us. So don’t judge me. I’m here to make sure you don’t go through it again.”

“Who? Who is this ‘they’?”

“The AirForce, The Joint Chiefs, the Command, the IOA. Each and every one of them played us, and in the end, Jack was dead. I watched him die, and all they were worried about was preserving him to exploit his gene pool. They offered me to carry his child, we never even got to make love, but they thought I would acquiesce because I loved him. I listened to them speak and went back to work, because I knew, I knew I had to come here.”

“What? But you’re..”

“Old. I’m old, Samantha.”

“No children?”

“No. No children, we waited eight years to be together and then I watched him die!”

The last word is anger and rage, fury, Sam watches the other women, knows she is lost and hurting.

“So what do you want me to do? This can’t be the turning point.”

“It is, just, just in a way you don’t know right now.”

“Explain.”

Sam notices the other woman is calm now, of course she is, Sam is sold on the plan without much fight. The tremble in her hands has eased. She moves through Sam’s house with sure movements, reaches for two glasses of wine, pours. She sits at the counter, hands one glass to Sam.

A minute, two, three, trickles by. Sam takes a sip, and then chokes. “You have to marry him tomorrow.”

“Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you right.”

“You have to marry him. It has to be legal, and accepted by the AirForce, and this is the only time you and Jack are not in the same chain of command.”

“Oh. What? Why?”

“As his wife, you will be his legal next of kin, and you can make the call to transfer him to a different hospital. You can make sure he gets the treatment rather than watch him be harvested.”

“What you are saying is absurd! You can’t possibly expect me to believe that is how the Airforce would treat it’s Colonel.”

“A General. He was a General, with exceptional genetics, and in the end, he was worth more to them in pieces.”

“Can’t he just make me his next of kin?”

“He already did. They laughed in the face of my paperwork.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“That is irrelevant. You can save him. You can love him. You can have him for years and years before it even goes wrong, and when it does, you can protect him.”

“And what about the world?”

“Fuck. The. World. Let it burn. I’m done.”

“That’s disgusting.” Sam recoils from the rage, from the hate she can see on the other woman’s face.

“No, wait, Sam, wait, let me explain. I knew you would be like this. I mapped it all out, see. Look. If you marry him by Saturday morning, nothing changes.”

She pushes towards Sam a notebook with her own handwriting, and Sam sees the timelines, like DNA, wrapping around themselves. She had never thought about visually representing time like that, but it makes sense. “I tried saving Charlie, but I couldn’t, too much turned on it. Nothing, nothing in the universe turns on this. In fact, you are married in some many alternative realities, this one change will make no difference. All you have to do is go to him, marry him, tell the AirForce, and be his wife. That’s it.”

“That’s it? He doesn’t even feel that way about me?”

“Sam. Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“But you are.” The older woman says, showing Sam her hands which were slowly dissolving, fizzing out of existence.

“The moment I disappear, it’s because you will do it. Love him, have his children. Don’t let the rules ruin your life.”

And then Sam Carter is sitting in her living room by herself. The only proof she has that the other woman was ever there is two wine glasses and the flutter of hope in her chest.

 

—-

 

“We need to talk.”

To say that he is startled that Samantha Carter is at his door is an understatement. She has that determined look on her face, and Jack suspects he is about to get a lecture about thermodynamics of space. Instead, Sam Carter pushes past him, invades the hallway, and says “We should get married. Today.”

Jack goes through the usual splutter and panic, for a split second, and then he looks at her, really looks at her, and understands.

“It’s certainly an elegant solution.”

“It is? You agree?”

“Oh Carter, come on, I’m not exactly stupid. We are going to dance around this for years, I’m going to injure my knees, and then you are going to run off and marry some stupidly nice Shrub just when I think it’s time to make a move.”

“Ah. So, Nevada?” She says.

“You don’t think it can wait until Monday?” Jack asks, around them the afternoon light marks the last of the work week.

“No. It can’t. I’m told we have about 30 hours.”

“Told by whom?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Ok, Las Vegas. Let me pack a bag.”

“No time.”

“Ok, I’ll be back in two seconds then. I’ll meet you in the car.”

Sam thinks this is the most surreal evening of her life, and that’s saying something for the woman who spends most of her working days travelling to other planets. She waits for Jack at the door, and is surprised to see him wearing dress pants and a respectable jacket. She raises an eyebrow but says nothing. Jack throws her the keys “We’ll get there faster if you drive.”

Sam expects silence in the car, but it’s like the dam between them has broken, and both are so desperate to share themselves with the other. Between stories of his childhood, and Sam’s re-telling of the Jonas Hanson chronicles, Jack makes phone calls from his cell. Sam can see why the older version of her said that Jack would make General. He was a true leader, and outside of battle, he was still equally as formidable.

“Ok, we are booked in. No dress fittings this late, but I’ve organised the paperwork and the flowers. And a honeymoon suite.” Sam’s not blushing, she tells herself, but the thought of taking this man to bed makes her body clench and the heat pool in her belly.

She glances over at him, and Jack has a boyish smile on his face, cheeky and adorable.

“Flowers are unnecessary.” Sam says, desperate to clear the heavy weight of arousal and awkwardness in the air between them.

“But the honeymoon suite is?” He smirks, and the tightness in her ratchets. “A girl has needs.” Sam teases back.

“Are you sure about this, Carter? I’m not exactly a catch anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“You should have seen me as a Captain, Captain.” which makes her laugh. “Well, there is always divorce.” Jack huffs.

He reaches for her hand, and they are both startled at the contact. “I’m serious, Sam.”

“I don’t want to marry some shrub eight years from now because I’m sick of waiting for you.”

“Were you waiting for me?”

“I’m not pining for you. Yet.”

“Sam.”

“I’m aware of your past. I’m a terrible cook, I kill all my plants, I’m allergic to dogs. I work too much. I’ll expect children. I’ll put my career first and expect you to follow me around.”

“Am I going to be your AirForce wife?”

“Yes.”

“Ok Carter. Works for me.”

“What about the Stargate?”

But it just makes Sam shake her head. The night gathers around them, the lights of the other cars becoming more scarce.

She pulls the truck over at diner somewhere in Oklahoma. Jack looks at her, his smile lazy, as he approaches her side of the car. The lights of the diner reflect back in his eyes. “Come on, woman, I’ll buy you coffee.”

“Is this our first date?”

“How many before I can kiss you?”

“Smooth, O’Neill, smooth.”

He places his hand around her shoulder, pulls her into his body, as they walk into the bright room. It’s almost ridiculous, the joy she takes in the contact.

Jack orders pie, and Sam has coffee and toast, many hours of driving ahead of her.

“Where do you want to live?” He asks her.

“Wherever they send us. As long as there is trees.” Which just makes him scoff.

“What do you think T and Daniel will say?” She adds.

“That we’re crazy, probably.”

“I have a cabin, I’d like you to see, when all of this is over.”

“The world, you mean?”

“If we survive.”

—-

He slides into the driver’s side of the car, reaches for Sam, curls his fingers across her cheeks. Jack tugs her to him, and she comes, willingly, until he is brushing his mouth over hers.

“First date ok?” He whispers across her lips, flicks his tongue against her mouth, slowly tantalising all of her senses.

Sam finds herself making out with the man that used to be her CO. Hands groping across his shoulders, pulling her chest flush with his, thrusting her breasts towards him, and when his mouth goes to her neck, moaning as her fingers thread through his hair.

“Jack. Jack. Jack. We need to get married in less than 12 hours. If we waste time having sex in a parking lot...”

Jack steals the rest of her words with his kiss, and then presses his forehead against hers.

“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we get to Nevada and we can swap.”

Sam slips in and out of wakefulness, lazily opening her eyes when the lights of a particularly bright truck fill the cab. Jack’s profile remains steady and constant, his mouth quirking at her from time to time. When she wakes up fully, it’s almost dawn, and Jack is kissing her.

“Let’s go get married, Carter.”

—-

They check into their hotel, one of those Casino monstrosities, and Sam is shocked to find the welcome note addressed to Mr and Mrs O’Neill. She is also embarrassed by the sight of the large California King bed, turning away from it to look at Jack. Jack, who seems to be doing the exact same thing, if the “ooops, busted” smile on his face is anything to go by.

“I have something for you.” He says, handing her a ring. He doesn’t meet her gaze, but instead looks at his hand. The ring is simple, yellow gold, as thin as wire. Several bands close together and threaded with pearls. It is antique, ancient, simple.

“It belonged to my great grandmother. It isn’t much, but I had it with me.”

“It’s lovely. Gorgeous. Did you give it to Sara?”

“No, she uhh, we had a different ring.”

Sam wants to ask, but also didn’t. This may not be the perfect wedding she imagined when she was a little girl, back when she allowed herself to have such daydreams, but it was hers, and the ghosts of the past didn’t belong here.

“We have an hour before the ceremony, did you want breakfast or a shower?” Jack asks her, hands absentmindedly brushing down her back.

“Both?” Sam wonders, and is rewarded with a smile.

“Can do. You shower. I’ll get room service.”

“Jack, if we spend any more time in this room, I don’t think we are going to make it outside.” He beams at her, there is no other word for it.

“I’ll wait for you at the breakfast bar downstairs.”

Sam doesn’t have much with her in the way of clothing, but a change of underwear would help, she thinks, even if she is about to get married in a silver summer skirt and blouse she wore for 12 hours. She has spare underwear in her bag, and the shower is gloriously warm and refreshing. Jack must have paid a pretty penny for this room. God, this was so irresponsible. Marrying someone on a whim was not her best and brightest idea. They knew so much about each other, more than she had known about Jonas, the closeness of battle binding them together.

Wrapped in a towel, fighting her way into the blouse as she exits the bathroom, dark thoughts in her head, Sam notices a white dress, plain, simple, on a hanger on the front door rail. The plastic cover over it has the hotel name printed and a note printed on white card that says “Dress rental complimentary with your stay.”

That is both thoughtful and insulting at the same time, but she can’t turn away clean clothes when the choice is available. Surprisingly, the dress fits. She dithers at the door, conflicted about her shoes, but in the end slips on the ankle boots she came in and walks out. To go and marry Jack O’Neill, she realises. Christ, her dad was going to kill her.

—-

Jack is at the breakfast bar with a coffee and more pie. She was going to have to start paying attention to his diet, Sam thinks, ruefully. She had always figured that he ate like an adult when he was home.

“You can’t have cake for breakfast, Jack.”

“I can on my wedding day. So can you.” And he offers her his fork, a morsel of sweet dough on it.SSa

“Jack, I, oh, we need to talk.” At her tone, his face goes carefully blank.

“Sure, Carter, pull up a chair.”

“This whole wedding thing, I uhh.”

“We don’t have to go through with it.” His voice is neutral, but Sam can see his fingers tense and his knuckles white on the fork.

“I, my reasoning is sound, but it wasn’t my idea. And I have to be honest with you.”

“Daniel?”

“No, I mean it was me, just the other me, future me.”

“Carter, what are you trying to say?”

“I came home and another version of me was there, from the future, she had come back to tell me to marry you, by the end of today.”

“Oh for crying out loud. Christ, ok, Carter, lets go home.” Jack gets off his chair, and Sam feels her stomach drop.

“No. I want to get married.” that’s too loud, and now everyone is looking at her, the other diners shaking their head at the spectacle of a jilted bride.

“Carter. You think you have to marry me because some future version of you, if that’s even the case, told you to. Why? Save the world? Save my life? I’m not interested in ruining your career for either of those.”

“No. I want to marry you. It was her idea. But it makes sense. Don’t you want to try?” Her voice goes small and hurt at the end, as if some other woman is speaking, and Sam realises that she had never really allowed herself to fully participate in a relationship. Careful Samantha Carter, always choosing men that would hurt her in the most obvious way so that she was protected from actual feelings. So many nights with Janet drinking wine and trying to figure out that one truth and now he was here and he was going to walk away.

“Jack.”

“You can’t think this is a good idea.”

“It’s a terrible idea, but this is the only way we would get to try and have a relationship. From what she told me, we keep trying.”

“Why fight the inevitable?”

“I think it’s quite clever, if I say so myself.”

Sam takes his hand, pulls his arm to her body, and leans up to kiss him.

“What was she like?” Jack asks.

“You just want to know if future me is hot.”

“You’re always hot, Carter. Where was future me?”

“Dead. She risked everything.”

“Right. Are you sure you’re doing this for the right reasons?”

“Look, marrying your CO in the brief window he isn’t your CO to avoid AirForce rules so that you can have a relationship without getting court marshalled seems a bit extreme, but I think its as solid as any other reason.”

He just shakes his head at that, but he seems convinced enough.

—-

The ceremony is simple, they hold hands, Jack dips her when its time to kiss the bride, and then they are Mr and Dr O’Neill.


End file.
